


The Liar of Saint - Elizabeth

by FrankieDelRey



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Accents, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Author Is Not Religious, Don't ask me about the time period, Everyone Has Issues, I Don't Even Know, M/M, Not Beta Read, Period Typical Bigotry, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Same-Sex Marriage, Southern Gothic Era
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:35:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27109621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrankieDelRey/pseuds/FrankieDelRey
Summary: ‘Time is running out boy, ya gotta make yer decision sooner or later.’ The man grinned as he held a dart in between his fingers, poised and ready to launch it in between the young man’s eyes. ‘No more fucking running boy’Inuyasha has always been running and fighting all his life. From his heritage, from his love life and from his friends. But now that he’s met with an eccentric figure with multiple faces, he can’t help but notice that Saint Elizabeth ain’t all what it seems.
Kudos: 1





	The Liar of Saint - Elizabeth

**Author's Note:**

> Listen.  
> I don't even know what made this come to be. I was listening to Spotify and I wanted to read something a bit different.  
> My mind is weird.  
> I love the Southern Gothic Niche. I love the aesthetic of it.  
> Having family that grew up in that type of god fearing era made me want to learn more about it.  
> Imma be honest, I'm not even sure where I'm going with this  
> This is a write as you go type of thing, if anyone is interested in reading it.  
> It gon be a long ride.

_He was drowning._

He watched above him as the surface became more distant the further he went down.

He tried to move his body, his legs, his arms but they felt like lead. Dragging him faster and deeper into the cold, unforgiving waters.

Air bubbles escaping his mouth, he tried to scream. His eyes burning from the fresh water, trying to keep his eyes open to distinguish his ups and downs.

Eyes widened as he stared at his surroundings in fear, ghostly pale arms floating around him as their fingers dragged against his skin, feeling like eels swimming against him.

He trashed around once they started to grab onto him, latching onto his ankles and wrists, pulling him down faster. Arms wrapped around his waist, another around his neck. Nails digging into his skin, crystal water slowly turning murky with the blood clouding.

\------

‘Wake up, boy!’

Dark eyes jolted open as he felt his body lurch up. His heart was racing miles per minute as he tried to remain focused on his surroundings. The only thing that came into focus was the rosary that sat on the neck of an old man. Re-orientating himself, he found himself on the back of a horse drawn wagon. Red dust getting kicked up by their legs and into the air, stinging into his eyes.

‘Where..’

His voice was hoarse from disuse. How long has he been out cold? He could barely remember how he got onto the wagon in the first place. Everything was bright and green, the summer breeze blew in his hair as they all moved forward, the wagon creaking.

‘Yer in Saint ‘Lizabeth, mhm. Ya seem like yer a long way from ‘ome boy. That pale body of yers tells me ya dun go out much’

The man spat out on the side of the wagon, chewing on something, his guess would be tobacco but it doesn’t have the strong herbal smell that he grew up knowing. The man himself looked like he'd seen better days. Maybe wearing farm clothes from the way it seemed like it was blackened with dirt and grass. He was crouching with gangly arms perched on his knees, his eyes mildly popped out from his head. His hair was thin and he was balding at the forehead towards the center. He tilted his head as he narrowed his eyes towards the young man.

‘Ya don’t speak much, do ya. Shame really, I could’a use a conversation or two’ He hacked out a grimy laugh before standing up, you could hear all of his bones re-aligning themselves as he turned back to the front of the wagon, where he left the horses unattended. But it seemed like he did it often, as his animals didn’t seem fazed.

‘I’ll fill you in on the happenings as ya got a befuddled look on yer face. Ya got into a brawl the other night at a bar near the edge of town, seemed like yer just came in like a tumbleweed’ The old man said as he sat himself down on the seat bench, tugging on the ropes so that his horses would slow down on the cobble road. The younger man closed his eyes as bent forward, crossing his legs as he placed his elbows on his knees.

The back of his head hurt and he felt like he swallowed cotton and wax. Things were still not coming to him as he listened to the old man brattle on about the night before.

‘Ya must ‘ave smoked something strong, yer eyes were red like a heated cattle prone. Ya didn’t seem like you knew where ya were either. Guess that’s what the fellers in the bar thought too, they dragged ya out to give ya a good beat down. Honestly, everyone came out to see that fight, didn’t seem like ya were gonna win it’ He cackled again before turning towards him, grinning. The old man was missing a few teeth, they’ve seen better days as well.

‘But honestly, ya beat them sad suckers bad, ya did. I don’t think any of them seen in coming. You moved like lighting you did. Like a blur like them chinese ninja movies y’all see on the old tube.’ He slapped his knee as he cackled again, turning back towards the road.

‘I dun know where ya came from boy, but y’all are something. After knocking sense out of all them boys, ya just dropped like a puppet without strings, not without puking up ya guts first. Someone must have given ya something before hand’

The said man looked down at himself, indeed he had a bit of sickness on him, grime and dirt covered his whole body, he smelled like the dead, baked in the sun too long. A town ahead was coming into view, he blinked his violet eyes before leaning himself against the side of the wagon, feeling dizzy again all of a sudden. The old man pulled on the reins, stopping right at the outskirts of town, his horses whining and shuffling to a stop.

‘Welcome to Saint Elizabeth, she’ll treat ya right. I’d keep ya but I still got a journey ahead, I’d like the company but I only ‘ave enough rations for one.’ The young man stared at the town before he slowly got up, vertigo still his worst enemy as he jumped off the wagon. He walked himself forward and stood near the front of the wagon, staring up at the old man that might have somewhat saved his life.

He cleared his throat before straightening himself up ‘What’s yer name, old man?’ Said man grinned and he shook the reins, the horses whined as they started to move forward into town, slowly leaving the young man in the dust.

‘Everyone just calls me Bel, short for Belial’ He grinned as he patted his chest, right over the rosary that hung around his neck. `if we meet again, what should I be calling you?’ He called back towards the young man.  
‘It’s...Inuyasha’ He didn’t sound certain himself when he said it. He felt nauseous, his stomach twisted and turned so that it made him bend forward.

‘Nice to meet cha, Inuyasha..Now I know for sure that yer ain’t from around here with an exotic name like that’ The old man yelled as he entered the town, a hand up to give a backward wave. ‘I get a feelin’ we gon meet again’

Inuyasha twitched slightly as it seemed like Bel’s voice echoed darkly in the air.

He felt like he was drowning

\---

Shippo groaned loudly in boredom as he sat himself down on the wood steps of his ma’s store. As rowdy as he was, he knew that running around playing in the shop was an invitation for a spanking. His pet cat, Kilala sat up on the shop bannister, soaking up the sun that was slowly starting to fade into the clouds for the day.

It was another day in Saint Elizabeth and he felt that it was simply a repeat of yesterday. School, Ma’s shop, home, supper, sleep. It was becoming stale for the 10 year old.

‘Shippou, please grab yer some water from the barrel’ He heard from the open window, he let out a groan again as he got up from his seat, running errands for his Ma was nothing new. He rounded the corner of the shop, kicking up rocks and dirty with his flats as he picked up the silver pail that hung close to the side rail. Looking up towards the lone barrel in the dusty alleyway, he froze when he saw a body leaning against it. He screamed loudly as he dropped the bucket, spinning and nearly tripping himself as he ran towards the front of the shop.

‘MA! MA! There’s a dead body in the alley’ he screamed, frightening the old woman that was at the cash with his ma. She too was startled as she stopped the woman’s money on the counter, some bouncing and falling onto the ground. She glared tightly at the small boy as she placed her hands on her hips.

‘What in the hell is wrong with ye boy, y’all gone give us a stroke. Ain’t no time for ya damn pranks’ She said tightly. Shippou stomped his foot as he pointed out at the door.

‘I ain’t lyin’ Ma! He ain’t moving and shit’ The old let out an offended gasp at the young boy’s language, making his Ma growl.

‘Now watch ya damn mouth—‘

‘Euh..beg y’all pardon..’

Three pairs of eyes turned towards the door, where a silhouette blocked the midday sun, Shippou screamed loudly as he turned and fell backwards, crawling back as he continued to point.

‘IS IS IS, IS THE DEAD MAN! IT’S SOME HOUDOU SHIT I SWEAR IT MA’

His ma quick to his rescue, jumped over the counter with her shotgun, pointing it towards the man.

‘Leave before I shoot lead into yer head, I’ll make ya a real dead man’

Inuyasha blinked tiredly as he stared at the barrel of the gun. His vision blurring in and out, raising his hands up in surrender.

‘I..I don’t mean y’all no harm..just..just looking for…’ His eyes slightly rolled in the back of his head as he fell forward, hitting the ground hard. Shippou, his ma and the old lady stared at the now still body, a crowd gathering at the front from all of the commotion that Shippou started. His Ma kept the gun up towards the body while Shippou quickly got up to his feet, staring down at the weird man that entered the shop.

‘Is..is he dead now, Ma?’ The shop owner slowly made her way towards Shippou and tugged him back behind her, her eyes still fixed on the body. She brought her arms down as she used the barrel of her shotgun to poke at Inuyasha’s back, but there was no movement. She let out a sign as she knelt down, placing her gun near her knee as she placed her hand near his neck to feel a pulse.

It was there, but was faint. Which was not good news for this one.

‘He ain’t dead, just pushed himself to exhaustion.’ She murmured while she leaned down to push some of his dark hair out of his face, he had dark circles around his eyes, he looked like he hadn't eaten in weeks and his face was dirty.

‘Where in Jesus' name did you come from…’ She shook her head as she picked the man’s arm up and hoisted him up onto her shoulder, taking her gun in her other hand.

‘Shippou, shoo away the crowd and lock up. I’mma gather medicine and food for this one’ She instructed before turning towards the old woman who stood quiet the whole time. She gave her a small smile.

‘Pardon my manners ma’am, my son will help gather your money, you can be on your way. Sorry for the trouble’ The old woman waved her hand as she shook her head.

‘Dun worry yourself deary, I’ll leave you be. You take care of yourself you hear? We dun be wanting no trouble in little ole ‘lizabeth’ She said as she gathered her things and walked around Shippou and out of the store, the boy yelling and using a broom to shoo away the crowd.

The shop owner shook her head as she dragged the body towards the back of the shop which had a little hole in the wall room. She grunted as she dropped the body onto the cot, taking off his shoes and dragging his legs onto the cot as well.

‘Yer one hefty fella even though it dun seem like it’ She muttered to herself as she placed her gun in the corner of the room, before turning around and searching through her shop for fever medicine and light ale. Shippou slammed the door closed once he was done. The small red head turned towards his mother as he watched her return into the room, lighting up a candle and getting down to work on her knees.

‘We ain’t keepin’ ‘im ‘ere, are we Ma?’ He asked abrasively, leaning against the frame of the door as he watched his Ma. The woman tied up her dark pitched hair as she grabbed a small piece of rag that was hanging off the empty bucket in a corner. Inuyasha started to sweat, his breath was hallowed and fast, as if he was trying to run away from a never ending nightmare.

‘We gon just have to see, Shippou. He can’t be leaving this man out to die, it ain’t right.’ She said softly as she opened the bottle of ale with the back of her teeth.

‘Go grab me a spoon and glass baby’ she said, Shippou jumping up to grab the items for his mother.

‘May God be lookin’ down on you, you’d be one lucky man’ She whispered to him as she wet the rag with some cool water, ringing it out before placing it on his forehead. Unknown to the small family, shadows swayed slightly against the window before dissipating in a blink.

It was only the beginning of this man’s journey.

**Author's Note:**

> If y'all want to follow me on Twitter @DelReap  
> Poke me about shit  
> Warning in advance; Multi/Pro shipper and Problematic


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